Perinatal Support Service

Hartlepool Borough Council was successful in securing Family Hubs funding from the Department of Education as part of the initiative to help improve health and education outcomes for children and families in England. HBC allocated funding was used to commission NCT to deliver a perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support service in Hartlepool (DN697526), known as Parents in Mind.

NCT staff and Peer Supporters have been working with midwifery and other health professionals to identify and support families in need of emotional support. The current contract is due to end on 31st March 2026 as this aligned with the original Family Hubs funding term.

Grant funding has now been confirmed for an additional period. This contract serves as an extension to the existing contract for a further 12 months, until 31st March 2027 as this will ensure continuity/consistency for those families who are already accessing the service. It will also allow HBC time to prepare key documents to re-tender the service for a longer period, incorporating the revised DHSE / DfE expectations once this has been determined (expected during April 2026 therefore providing insufficient time to conduct a procurement exercise for the new period).